Whether or not you and your family have ever been to Ireland or have Irish heritage, today is the day people enjoy wearing green and celebrating the luck of the Irish. At BCFamily.ca we happen to have a healthy dose of Irish spirit as a result of spending a few years living south of Dublin. Ireland – the Emerald Isles – is truly a grand place.

How can you bring some of that Irish spirit home this weekend? Here are some ideas.

To do:

Check out the Discover Ireland videos. If you have an older elementary aged child both of you could learn more about what Ireland is really like.

Wear green on the day – of course – and lots of it. For a bit of a special twistface paint a shamrock on each cheek of your child.

Consider pairing an Aran sweater with something green. If you do not have a genuine Aron sweater head on down to the Celtic Traditions store. Or you may find a type of Aran sweater for the junior set at the baby store in the Women’s section of Women’s and Children’s Hospital. At $40, their hand knit sweaters are reasonably priced.

St. Patrick’s day parades tend to take place the weekend before St. Patrick’s day. As there was no parade this year due to the Paralympics taking place, make a note of the parade for next year and what viewing point seemed to be the best. These parades really are a lot of fun. Plan on attending Celtic Festival events as well.

Order a Irish Claddagh ring for yourself or your loved one. These rings are symbols of love, friendship and fidelity. Traditionally if you are single the heart is worn facing your nails. If you are in a relationship/married, the heart is worn facing your wrist.

Young children can draw or paint pictures of leprechauns, pots of gold and a perennial favourite – rainbows.

Keep your ear to the ground for information about Irish dance presentations – whether they involve children, adults or professionals. They may take place around St. Patrick’s day, or any other day of the year. Irish dancing truly is an impressive sight.

Consider taking in some Celtic music – either on the day or some other day of the year. Celtic Traditions runs concerts and musical nights are also held at the Wolf and Hound. Call ahead at the latter to ask about evenings when groups of folk musicians play together. The traditional instruments and happy musical beat are a treat for younger children.

For a traditional dish at dinner time, try out this delicious recipe for Irish Stew.

Pair your stew with some delicious Irish soda bread that can be made in less than an hour.

Enjoy each other’s company, put on some of your favourite folk music CDs and share stories. The Irish are famous for their “gift of the gab”, and there is no better way to honour that tradition that to share an evening of good conversation with family and friends.

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page.Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.